Apparatus for a process of fumigation.



F. M. DUNCAN & W. S. EISENBERG. APPARATUS run A PROCESS OF FUMIGATION.

A PPLIUATIOK FILED JUNE 25. 1910.

Patented Sept 3, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. DUNCAN, OF LOS ANGELES, AND WILLIAM S. EISENBERG, OF ALHAMBRA,

CALIFORNIA; SAID DUNCAN ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH OF THE WHOLE RIGHT TO EUGENE H, FGSDICK, OFKLOS NGELES,.CALIFQBNIA.

APPARATUS Fona rnochss or FUMIGATION.

1 ,ozrmaa.

7 .4 Specification of. Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 3/1912;

Application filed .Tune 25, 1910. Serial No. 568,892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, Framers M. DUNCAN and WVILLITAM S. Eisnnunnc, both citizens of theUnited States, residing, respectively, at Los Angeles and at Alhambra, in the county oiiLos Angelo-sand State of taliifornia,have

invented a new and. useful-Apparatus for a" Process of Fuinigatio'n, of which the follow:

ing is'a specification.

,"Ihisim ention relates to an improved ap-v paratus for carrying out a'process of fumigat-ionf oftrees for the destruction of orchard pests, buildings, etc.,'by use of hydrocyanic acid gas, and the main object of'the invention is to'provide an apparatus which will carry out av continuousprocess-for producing and delivering the hydrocyanic acid noi'e economical, safe and conven "eithan is possible with the usual apparatus employed in'such process.

The a .t utilizedinthe usual proc- S o'figp gilyic 'ydrocyanic acid gas for the puipos'cht i' tassium cyanid and sulfuric sive and involves considerable iconvenienoe, labor and -danger in depositing the pots and in collecting the same after the operation is over.

Our present invention provides an apparatus for production of the hydrocyanic acid gas in such manner that thereis no danger of the operator being brought in Contact with the fumes and all handling of pots .or similar utensils is dispensed with.

The method of operation of the apparatus consists essentially in liiringing nitrogen and acetylene gases into contact in a continuous manner, subjecting the said to the acacid, is expen-- tion of an electric discharge while they are.

thus brought into contact, thereby producing hydrocyanic. acid gas and delivering the hydrocyanic acid gas as produced, to the object to he fumigated. By such method of operation, the l'iydrocyanic acid. gas is carried away and applied as rapidly-as it is produced and the materials, namely, nitrogen and acetylene, which are used, are innocuous, so that there little danger incident to the operation.

The accompanying drawings illustrateour iiziproved apparatus tor carrying out the process: F gure 1 is a plan of the apparatus. '2 is a vertioai sectioiir-an tlii' d ice t by the use of po- I ing proximity.

ing and coml'iining the gases and delivering the. hydrocyanic acid.

" The apparatus which may be supported on a truck 1 or any suitable support, Whereby it maybe transported to the required 10- cation, comprises main tanks 2 8 containing nitrogen and acetylene respectively,

said tanks being connected through valves at and 5 and pipes or'flexible hose 6- and 7 with ai'ixiliary tanks 8 and 9, said tanks 8 and 9.

respectively being provided with pressure gages 10 'and 11, whereby the amount of pressure o f't he gas admitted to the said aux iliary'tanhsmay be determined. Fro-m said auxiliary tanks pipes ll and 12 lead through av flexible hose 13 to the combining device hereinafter described. A yal ve 145 may he provided tocontrol theflow of gas through pipes ll and 12 so that gas may-be turned: o-n .or ciit ottsimultaneously in these pipes. A storage, battery 15 may also be mounted on thetruek 1,]together withfan induction coil 16 for producing'hi'gl i tension oscilla- .tory current from the energymfurnishedby the battery, said; induction coil having-its primary winding coiii'r'ec ted through the arliltlt tihe 17 gperating as the circuit breaker fora" primary circuit lSc-ounected to the battery and having its secondary co l connected to a secondary circuit 20 extending to discharge electrodes in the gombining device. A bell 21 may be operated by the armature 17 to notify the operator that the electric. discharge apparatus is in operation,

and a switch 252 may be provided in the circuit 19 for closing or opening the operating circuit of the electric discharge means.

The combining device indicated at may consist of a case having a removable domeshaped cover said cover having a small opening or laterally arranged outlet 25 in its center provided preferably with a hood 31 and with outlet perforatu'ms beneath said hood to distribute or spread the gas, and said case being mounted on a standard or plug QG'Whichmay he tapered as shown at 27, so as to be readily driven into the ground. The circuit wires .20 for the electric discharge lead through electrodes 9.8 passing through insulated bushings 29 in the case 23, said eleetrodes being adjusted within said husl'iing, so i :.-to extend in proper discharg- The n wi-ati u is carried out as tollows:

The gas es in comhining proportion are ad mitted into the respective reservoirs 8 and 9,. the amo'unt admitted depending on thespace to be fumigated, it being possible by means 'of the pressure gages to control the amount of gas in accordance'with the size of the tree or roomto he fumigated, or, if desired,

a uniform amount may be admitted corbrought to the location where responding 'to the maximum size of tree v 1n a given orchard. The a-p aratus is umlgation isrequi'red and the combining, device 23 is placed within the iinclosure indicated by dotted lines at in Fig. 1, representing, for example, a tent around a tree. Valve 14 controlling the discharge from tan'ks 8' and 9' is-then opened and the gases agape al-' lowed to "stream into the. combinator 23 through the pipes 11 and 12, the outlet of said'pipes being located,adjacent or opposite to the space between the electrodes 28 in said combming device and the discharge cur'rent'being caused to pass betweensaid electrodes by the operation of the-induction coil 16,'so that the gases issuin from the pipes 11 and 12 are. combined to orm hydrocyanic acid gas as fast" as they enter the case, suflicient electric energy being fur-- nished for this purpose. The hydrocyanic acid gas so formed passes out in a continuous stream through the outlet 25. at the top "of the case and into the space within the inclosure 30 where it operates to effect'the fumi ation. When thecontents of the tanks 8 an 9 have become exhausted, .the com bin'ator is withdrawn from the inclosure and placed within the next inclosure to be fumigated and the operation repeated, ;a. new

"su ply of nitrogen and acety ene-bei admitted to the auxiliary ormeasuring anks 8 and 9. v

What we claim is:

An apparatus for a process of fumigation comprising main tankshaving valves and containing nitrogen and acetylene resectively, auxiliary tanks for measuring t 1e respective gases,.provided with pressure gages, pipes connecting the main tanks with the auxiliary tank's respectively, valved pipes leading'from the auxiliary tanks, a.

discharge circuit and means for generating high tension discharge-therein, a combining device consist-lngof a case,-w1th which the char e circuit passes, sai "case' being provided with an outlet, and electrodes Wlthln the case in the discharge c rcuit.

a In testimony whereof -we havefhereunto' lingeles, California, this 18th day of June,-1 910.

set our hands at Les,

FRANCIS M. DUNCAN.

WILLIAM s.. Ersnsense.

In presence of- ARTHUR P/KNI HT,

' Faun: LI A. Guan ne.

pipes connect, and throu h which the dis- 

